Highlights at Southern Alberta border crossings

In October, the port of Coutts processed more than 16,300 vehicles and 12,500 commercial trucks for entry into Canada. There were 15 seizures valued at more than $44,000, resulting in more than $15,600 in penalties to travellers. Of the 49,000 travellers, there were 83 people refused entry, 356 people were granted permanent residence status and 218 people received work permits.

At Carway, there were 4,967 vehicles and 71 commercial trucks processed for entry into Canada. Of the 11,350 travellers, officers finalized 334 permanent residence applications, issued 87 work permits, and refused entry to 20 people.Here are a few events from select Alberta border crossings last month:COUTTS:On Oct. 1, a returning Alberta resident was arrested for eight outstanding warrants for assault, possession of stolen property, possession of prohibited weapon, breach of undertaking, etc. Milk River RCMP attended and took the man into custody.On Oct. 8, a Montana man was seeking entry to work in Alberta. Background checks revealed the man had been convicted of sexual assault of a minor. He was refused entry and advised to obtain a temporary resident permit from the Canadian Consulate before returning to Canada.On Oct. 12, a woman was refused entry for multiple convictions. Background checks revealed she had been convicted of terroristic threats, bank larceny, two DUIs, and also had an outstanding theft charge with court pending in December. The woman was advised not to attempt re-entry until the outstanding charge was cleared. However, two weeks later, the woman attempted re-entry at the Edmonton International Airport and was again refused and was returned to the United States on the first available flight.On Oct. 16, an Alberta resident was arrested on an outstanding warrant for operating a motor vehicle without insurance. The man was taken into custody by Milk River RCMP.On Oct. 17, a commercial driver destined to Fort McMurray was refused entry for a burglary conviction for which he served jail time. He also had drug and assault convictions.On Oct. 23, a 53-year-old commercial driver delivering goods to Calgary was refused entry for his lengthy criminal record. In total, he had 19 convictions and served more than 10 years in prison for theft by cheque, theft, identity theft, driving while suspended, etc. He was advised to obtain a temporary resident permit from the Canadian Consulate before returning to Canada.On Oct. 24, officers seized two loaded firearms and one large capacity magazine that were concealed in the vehicle of two Arizona residents — one was an 18-mm handgun and the other was a 9-mm semi-automatic rifle. The firearms were seized and the couple was arrested by Milk River RCMP.CARWAY:On Oct. 1, an Alberta couple declared 16 bottles of wine and two cartons of cigarettes. They were referred to pay additional duty and taxes. Officers then conducted a routine secondary exam of the vehicle and found — hidden throughout the vehicle — 44 bottles of wine, 54 bottles of beer, and 820 cigarettes. The couple stated they didn’t declare them as they didn’t want to pay additional taxes on the goods. The undeclared alcohol and cigarettes were seized with no terms of release. CBSA reminds travellers to properly declare all good they are bringing into Canada. By not declaring goods, they could be subject to seizure and additional penalties. Also, a traveller’s future border clearances could be affected as all future returns to Canada would be closely scrutinized by CBSA to ensure compliance.On Oct. 8, officers refused two dangerous offenders entry into Canada. One had been convicted of breaking and entering, while the other had been convicted of trafficking cocaine.On Oct. 20, a man was seeking entry to work in Alberta. However, he was refused entry as background checks revealed he had seven convictions for failure to appear and possession of hallucinogens. He was refused entry and returned to the United States.DEL BONITA:On Oct. 21, a Montana man was refused entry for having an involuntary manslaughter conviction. CBSA officers advised the man to obtain a temporary resident permit from the Canadian Consulate before returning to Canada.The Canada Border Services Agency is committed to keeping borders safe. Anyone with information about suspicious cross-border activity, should contact the Border Watch Line at 1-888-502-9060. For information on CBSA, phone 1-800-461-9999.